Despite world events, the show went on March 23rd as celebrities gathered in Hollywood for the 75th Annual Academy Awards. This year's Oscars were a much-subdued version of the annual event, minus the red carpet and much of the glitz and glamour.

"Chicago" strutted off with the most wins, but Roman Polanski's "The Pianist" pulled off the night's biggest upsets with wins in the Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director categories. Eminem's rap song "Lose Yourself," from his feature film "8 Mile," emerged as the surprise winner for Original Song, marking the first time a rap song has won in that category.

Steve Martin had the daunting task of hosting the show in what was one of the toughest years for the Academy Awards. Starting off the show with a joke, "You probably noticed there was no red carpet tonight. That'll send them a message," Martin's carefully worded opening monologue focused more on poking fun at the celebrities in attendance, than on current events.

Prior to the broadcast, anxious producers had warned presenters to stick to the script, however winners were allowed to use their 45 seconds to speak their minds. Most of the winners chose to use their allotted time for the usual thank you speeches, with just a handful using the podium to speak out against the war.

Michael Moore, winner of the Best Documentary Feature for "Bowling for Columbine," was the most outspoken attendee. Using his time to launch a scathing attack on President Bush, Moore referred to the war in Iraq as a "fictitious war." His remarks were greeted with a loud chorus of boos, drowning out the smaller round of applause. Winners Chris Cooper ("Adaptation"), Adrien Brody ("The Pianist") and Pedro Almodovar ("Talk to Her") each called for peace and wished for a swift resolution to the war.

Telecast live from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, the 75th Academy Awards show lasted just over three and a half hours, nowhere near the marathon broadcasts of recent years.

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT:"The Collector of Bedford Street" - Alice Elliott"Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks" - Robert Hudson and Bobby Houston"Why Can't We Be a Family Again?" - Roger Weisberg and Murray NosselWINNER:"Twin Towers" - Bill Guttentag and Robert David Port